Pure Benedictine Bliss

I first visited a Benedictine Abbey when I was a first year theology student at Oxford. I went to Douai Abbey near Reading in Berkshire. I was immediately struck by the ancient sense of order, peace and confidence. The monks took their faith seriously, but they didn’t take themselves seriously. Over the years I visited many monasteries and was eventually received into the church at the Abbey of Quarr on the Isle of Wight.

One of the joys of visiting a traditional Benedictine monastery or convent is the singing. The more traditional orders reverence their ancient customs and spend time perfecting their music. When I lived on the Isle of Wight the monks at Quarr Abbey and the nuns at St Cecilia’s Abbey perfected their Gregorian chant, and to visit the monastery or convent for worship was to not only step back in time, but to step up to the doorstep of heaven.

That was a long time ago, but to this day I keep the music of the monks of Quarr singing Compline close by. The beauty and mystery of Gregorian chant is not only ancient–with it’s simple repetitious tunes and constant quiet rhythm it aids meditation and prayer like nothing else can. Sacred music opens the heart and soul to the wonder of God because music is “emotion expressed as sound”. In the midst of a world where the “music” expresses the emotions of rage, lust, chaos, hatred and the demonic, the music of the monastery expresses the opposite. Here there is peace, love, beauty, order and harmony that leads to the ultimate music of silence.

A relatively new community – Mary Queen of Apostles–are following the Lord in the way of St Benedict. Originally based in Pennsylvania they have transferred to the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph in Missouri. Check out this fresh air experience of the Benedictine life here at their website. You can watch a very nice video of the nuns, their singing and and their life here.

The sisters will have a special on EWTN. Check out the dates and times: EWTN called “Advent at Ephesus” at the following times in the US & Canada: Dec. 2 – 11:00am ET - Dec. 5 – 4:00am & 10:00pm ET - Dec. 12 – 6:00pm ET - Dec. 15 – 9:00am ET

They’ve made a CD as well and you can order this disc of blissful Benedictine music here and step into a world of prayer and a world of peace.

My husband spent two summers at Solemses while he was in seminary- it was the defining period in his life. What a blessing (they have a special ministry to preserve chant)

neil murphy

sir i was fortunate enough to have been educated at douai school which before the school cloesed was attached to the monastery having read your piece i just had to add the same ethos extended to the school tranquility serenity and discipline emphasis on maturing and preparing for life in a measured calm way i still regulary visit douai which unlike schools which emoly teachers many of the monks taught me and that was 30 years ago god bless neil murphy douai incl the prep schoool 1969-1981

Tracy

If I would have had a religious vocation, this would have been the order for me! Benedictine and they’re ministry is sewing! They sew vestments, etc. and also extend hospitality to priests in need of a retreat. What a blessing!

FW Ken

The happiest men I’ve ever known were elderly Trappist monks. One of them told me that he was told “keep the Rule when you are young; when you are old the Rule will keep you”.

Trappist, of course, is a reform of the Cistercians, themselves a reform movement who sought deeper faithfulness to the Rule of St. Benedict.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker

I like the monastic line, “This is a hard bed to sleep on, but a soft bed to die on.’

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About Fr. Longenecker

Welcome to Standing on My Head! I'm a former Evangelical, then an Anglican priest, now a Catholic priest. If you want to learn more about me click on the "Bio" tab in the header. The header tabs also contain my archived articles, with my conversion stories and writings on Catholic apologetics. You can have a look [Read More...]

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